


Making a House a Home

by Tkeyla



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-22
Updated: 2013-08-22
Packaged: 2017-12-24 06:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/936606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tkeyla/pseuds/Tkeyla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve speaks without thinking. It makes Danny question their relationship. Prompted by <a href="http://1-million-words.livejournal.com/261298.html"> this picture</a> posted on <a href="http://1-million-words.livejournal.com"> 1_million_words</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making a House a Home

Danny stood quietly in the open door to their bedroom. 

Steve was laying mostly on the bed, his right foot planted flat so his knee was up, his left leg hooked over the end. He was wearing only an old faded pair of jean shorts, showing most of his legs and much of his hips. They had shrunk over the years but he refused to give them up, promising to wear them solely inside the house.  
  
When Steve sensed Danny’s return, he pushed himself up on his elbows. The lines of concern where etched around his eyes and mouth, his expression contrite. “I’m sorry,” he said, watching Danny closely.  
  
Danny remained where he was, leaning against the door jamb. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, looking back at Steve. “Are you?” Danny asked, sounding tired more than angry. Maybe he had taken all of his anger with him when he’d left three hours earlier.  
  
“Yes,” Steve said. “I didn’t think when I said it.”  
  
“Or is that how you really feel?” Danny asked, making Steve flinch. “This is _your_ house. No matter how long I live here, no matter how much I want it to be different, it’s _yours_.”  
  
“That’s not true, Danny,” Steve said, sitting up, both feet on the floor, his elbows on his knees. “Of course we can repaint the living room. We can get new curtains. We can get a new couch if you want.”  
  
“It’s not what I want, Steve. It’s what _we_ decide. I don’t want to repaint the living room because you think that’s what I want. Those are the things we would decide together.”  
  
“We _would_?” Steve asked, breathless. It sounded like making joint decisions was about to become obsolete. That Steve would make decisions and Danny would make decisions but one would have no bearing on the other.  
  
“We should,” Danny tried. “Do you want me to move out?”  
  
“No. Please.” He jumped up to hurry over to where Danny was standing. He didn’t know what to do with his hands. Everything in him wanted to touch Danny but he couldn’t be sure of the reception. “I never want you to leave.”  
  
“Even though I’m just living with you in your house,” Danny said in a flat, toneless voice.  
  
“I’m really sorry I said that, Danny. It’s our house. It has been since we started…you know,” Steve said, gesturing between the two of them.  
  
“Since we started being fuck buddies?” Danny asked. The words made Steve flinch.  
  
“Is that what you really think of us?” Steve asked. He sounded wounded and angry. Danny hadn’t intended to hurt him. At least, he didn’t believe that was his intent. But when Steve had said that Danny wasn’t the one to decide that the living room needed to be repainted or that new curtains would be welcome, Danny had been wounded and angry himself.  
  
“Not most of the time,” Danny admitted. “But are we in a real relationship?”  
  
“We live together. We sleep together. We work together. Sometimes we use the same toothbrush. How much more of a relationship could we be in?” Steve asked.  
  
“I don’t know, Steve,” Danny said. “I don’t know what it is you really want from me.”  
  
Steve looked taken aback by those words, his eyes widening in surprise. “I want to have a life with you. One we’ll share until I get us killed in some half-cooked idea.”  
  
“You’re sure to do that,” Danny agreed, lightening to mood a fraction.  
  
A little of the tension eased in Steve’s shoulders. “Please come sit down.”  
  
Danny nodded and followed him over to the unmade bed, sitting next to him on the edge. It was still warm from when Steve had been laying on it. Danny wondered if he’d stayed in the exact same spot the entire time he had been gone.  
  
“We can paint the downstairs and the upstairs. We can get all new furniture,” Steve said, watching Danny intently.  
  
“Do you think the house needs to be painted?” Danny asked carefully. He reached over to the chair for a tee shirt and handed it to Steve. “I can’t think with so much skin showing.”  
  
Steve smiled and ducked his head, pulling on the shirt. “Yes, the house needs to be painted. We can do it ourselves or we can hire someone to do it for us.”  
  
“Had it occurred to you to repaint before I brought it up?” Danny asked, studying Steve’s face as he considered the question.  
  
“It’s not seeing the forest for the trees, I guess. I’m so used to the walls being the way they are that I didn’t notice,” Steve admitted.  
  
“And when I suggested we paint?” Danny prompted. “Why did you say _my house is just fine. I don’t need to have it painted_?”  
  
“Because I’m a Neanderthal who still hasn’t mastered mammal to mammal communication,” Steve said.  
  
“Or because you don’t really want me here,” Danny countered, watching Steve.  
  
“You know that’s not true. I said it because… _change_.”  
  
“Yes, I know, babe. Change is always hard. But sometimes….” Danny trailed off, shaking his head.  
  
“Sometimes you think you’re the only one who has to make all the changes,” Steve finished for him, in a quietly guilty voice.  
  
“Maybe?” Danny said, checking to see what Steve’s reaction was. He was nodding in agreement. “Did you reach this conclusion by yourself?”  
  
“Uhmm…Chin may have had a little in-put,” Steve hedged. “When you left and wouldn’t answer your phone, I may have called him.”  
  
Danny laughed softly at that. “Did he tell you I was at his house?”  
  
Steve smiled and shook his head. “No. He asked me what had happened. When I admitted what I had stupidly said, he informed me that I don’t deserve you and that maybe I should look at things from your perspective.”  
  
“And have you?” Danny asked, reaching out for Steve’s hand. Steve gladly let him take it, interlacing their fingers.  
  
“I haven’t done anything else. If you want, we can sell this house and buy a new one. One that is just ours,” Steve said. He was secretly relieved when Danny shook his head.  
  
“No, I will absolutely not take you away from your ocean. As long as you want me here, this is where we’ll make our home. But it has to be _ours_.”  
  
“I understand,” Steve said. “Better than I did earlier. I can’t let _our_ house be a museum, a memorial to a family I no longer have. It has to be a breathing, living reminder of the _ohana_ I’m now a part of.”  
  
Danny nodded, leaning closer to lightly kiss Steve. “I shouldn’t have been so angry.”  
  
“I’m sorry I was so stupid,” Steve said. “You’re my home now. If you want to move into Tent City, I’ll go with you. This is just a structure. It’s not my home if you aren’t here.”  
  
Danny nodded, accepting his words and his acknowledgment. “Chin isn’t angry, if you’re worried he was. He doesn’t mind being our counselor.”  
  
“Good thing, huh?” Steve said, holding more tightly to Danny’s hand.  
  
“Lucky for us,” Danny agreed.  
  
“So what do you say tomorrow we go look at paint samples?” Steve asked hopefully.  
  
“Sure,” Danny said. “We can get the exact same colors. Just freshen it up.”  
  
“Or we can pick all new colors. Colors for _our_ home,” Steve said.  
  
“And once we have it painted and put up new curtains, what do you say to having a celebration?” Danny asked with a smile.  
  
“Sure. What will we be celebrating? The fact that I’m less stupid than I was earlier today?”  
  
“I was thinking maybe we could celebrate getting married,” Danny said, watching Steve’s reaction. First there was surprise then relief then pure, unmitigated joy.  
  
“That is one hell of a plan,” Steve agreed happily.  
  
“So for the record, you are accepting my formal proposal?”  
  
“Have you cleared it with Grace?” Steve asked.  
  
“I called her while I was at Chin’s. Because we were either going to break up or get married. Grace voted married,” Danny laughed.  
  
“Does Chin vote married?” Steve asked.  
  
“As far as he’s concerned, we already are,” Danny reminded hm.  
  
“Him and half of O’ahu. What time does the hardware store close? Can we go find paint samples now?” Steve asked, jumping up to look down at Danny.  
  
“I have a better idea,” Danny said, unbuttoning Steve’s shorts and letting them fall to the floor. He stood, taking Steve’s shirt up over his head.  
  
“I like this celebration,” Steve agreed, returning the favor and divesting Danny of his clothes. “Make-up sex for the win.”  
  
“Yep,” Danny agreed, shoving Steve so he landed sprawled on the bed. Danny licked his lips before following, making up for the hurt and the pain and the misunderstanding; celebrating their new beginning.  



End file.
